Ice hotel or glass igloo? – Sorrisniva vs. Kakslauttanen

How the travel budget can be exhausted with extravagant accommodations, we have once again tested on our Lapland round trip. On average, we paid around 100 CHF per night in a double room. Overnight stays at the Sorrisniva Ice Hotel near Alta (Norway) and in the glass igloo at the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort near Saariselkä (Finland) were well above this average. I couldn’t resist! The images of the glass igloos of Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort are among those shots that appear in Buzfeed/BoredPanda/Madator Networt articles and where when you look at them you think “wow! It looks awesome.” The Ice Hotel Sorrisniva is less known than its counterpart in Sweden, but it is the northernmost ice hotel in the world. And since both accommodations could be nicely integrated into our planned road trip, it quickly became clear: We treat ourselves to this. It has to be said that the hype about the glass igloos made me critical and I expected a disappointment. First of all, these extravagances were not money thrown out the window, but unique experiences.

Sorrisniva – Norway’s northernmost ice hotel

The Ice Hotel Sorrisniva is located about 20 minutes drive from Alta and consists of a wooden building including a restaurant in a traditional Sami round house building. Reception, lounge, sauna, luggage storage and toilets are located in the wooden building. The entrance to the ice hotel with chapel, ice bar and the sleeping berths is directly behind it. The ice hotel can also be visited during the day (cost NOK 200), which seems to be a popular excursion with many cruise operators. At least when we arrived, the ice hotel was jam-packed with day guests who were chauffeured here by car. For the guests who stay overnight, there is a cozy common room available, where we have retired.

The food

The dinner at the restaurant Laksestua surprised us positively. The menu consists mainly of local, traditional dishes with reindeer and elk meat, salmon and cloudberries. The ambience is also harmonious with the oversized roundhouse architecture with a crackling fire in the middle. We both chose the three-course menu. Conclusion: fine!

Sleeping in the Ice Hotel

In the Ice Hotel, the temperature is constantly around -5° Celsius. For a “Gfrörli” like me, not exactly the rosiest prospects. After spending the night at the Eisigloo in Engelberg last spring, I was skeptical whether I would be recovered after that night. However, the reindeer skins and the two sleeping bags, which you can take per person, serve their purpose perfectly. Only around the nose it remained cool. But once you’ve crumbled into your sleeping bag, you don’t get up so quickly – so if you have to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, you’re out of luck. In addition, we did not manage to turn off the small lamp that lit up our bunk. Otherwise, a surprisingly restful night.

The Northern Lights

The main reason why we definitely chose the Sorrisniva Ice Hotel was its northern location far away from larger settlements. The light pollution here is small and the frozen river directly in front of it is suitable as a shooting location for northern lights. This was not only the decisive point for us, but for practically all the guests on site. Luck was on our side that evening and gave us a clear night sky. Despite the predicted low HP values (between 2 and 3), the spectacle in the sky was impressive. In terms of the Northern Lights, the highlight of our Lapland trip.

The Costs

The overnight stay costs NOK 2,250 per person (around CHF 260) in a “normal” room including sauna and breakfast buffet. Suites cost NOK 2,500 per person. For dinner, there are various menu options. We paid 645 NOK each for a three-course meal.

More info: Sorrisniva Alta

Kakslauttanen – Finland’s glass igloo classic

In contrast to the rather tranquil ice hotel near Alta, the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort near Saariselkä is a big story. There are now two locations that are about 5 kilometers apart – the Igloo East Village and the Igloo West Village. We stayed in the West Village, which is idyllically located in the forest and offers other accommodation options (including chalets and snow igloos) as well as a range of activities in addition to the glass igloos. The main reception with the restaurant is located about 5 minutes walk from the location of the glass igloos. The glass igloos include a wooden building with a – unfortunately – loveless lounge with Wi-Fi and sauna facilities.

The food

When it comes to food, the ice cream hotel is clearly ahead. In contrast to Sorrisniva, dinner (three-course menu) is included in the room rate. The food served – salad with salmon, pork with barbecue sauce and pancakes – wasn’t bad, but didn’t knock our socks off either. It’s just what you’d expect in a half-board resort.

Sleeping in a glass igloo

Far beyond our expectations was the comfort in the glass igloo. It is pleasantly warm, and surprisingly spacious. We had enough space to spread out our two suitcases as well as all the photo material. In addition, each glass igloo has its own toilet with washbasin. Here, no one has to fight through the cold in the middle of the night. The beds were very comfortable and adjustable in height. The only pity is that there are no double beds, but two single beds each. The romance factor is clearly prevented. The sleeping experience, on the other hand, is heavenly. Unobstructed view of the twinkling stars. A kind of free sleeping for wimps – or in modern English: glamping at its finest.

The Northern Lights

In the Ice Hotel, you can only go to bed when you have seen the Northern Lights, or you are sure that there will be no more. In a glass igloo, on the other hand, you can easily go to bed early and then simply set the alarm clock in the middle of the night. That’s exactly what we did, and as soon as the alarm clock woke me up at midnight, I’m wide awake and shouting “Northern lights! Show! Quick!». The first photo was taken directly from the bed without a tripod. Bombastic, isn’t it? Unfortunately, there is no guarantee of sighting the Northern Lights. Also this night the values were in the low range and shortly after midnight thick clouds came up. In this respect, we were incredibly lucky and were accordingly happy.

The Costs

Prices vary depending on the season, but it doesn’t matter if you stay in the West or East Village. During the low season, the overnight stay including half board costs 210 euros per person. We booked directly through the homepage and paid the equivalent of 635 CHF for one night in high season.

More info: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

Ice hotel or glass igloo? Well, I was convinced before the trip that I would choose a favorite, and secretly bet on the ice hotel. The conclusion is the same. Both places offer unique nights in their own way. If you are looking for a good location to see the Northern Lights, you will choose the better place with the Ice Hotel (northern location and little light pollution). If you want a touch of luxury and are looking for a unique sleeping experience under the stars, I recommend a night at Kakslauttanen. If I “had” to spend more than one night in one of the two places, then my choice would definitely fall on the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort – my nose doesn’t like temperatures below freezing twice in a row.